Thank you to our turtle community!

As many of our Aquarium and Foundation family know, April saw an unprecedented number of stranded turtle hatchlings arriving at the Turtle Conservation Centre. Our team was working around the clock to care for over 500 loggerhead hatchlings, but we couldn't have done it without our turtle community.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank a few of the incredible ocean champions who have helped us in our efforts to rescue and care for these precious turtles.

Addison

Addison, an 11-year-old aspiring marine biologist, has already made a significant impact on marine conservation. When the Turtle Conservation Centre received the influx of rescued loggerhead hatchlings, Addison launched a fundraiser on GivenGain to support their recovery. Remarkably, she has already raised over R10 000!

Addison’s passion for the ocean and its creatures, especially turtles, inspires those around her. Her commitment and enthusiasm for the ocean and the turtles in our care have made a big difference. We are incredibly grateful for Addison’s unwavering commitment and the positive impact she has had on our conservation efforts. Her actions demonstrate that no matter our age, we can make a difference in caring for and protecting turtles and their ocean home.

Volunteers

Over the past six months, our community of turtle volunteers have been an incredible gift to both the turtles and the team at the Turtle Conservation Centre. We’ve seen them show up day in and day out with huge smiles and boundless enthusiasm. Their energy, eagerness and dedication are truly infectious.

Volunteers assist with the daily operations of the TCC, supporting with many tasks including feeding, data collection, sterilising, and siphoning. Despite the messiness of cleaning or the patience required to feed our little hatchlings, our volunteers remain committed to providing excellent care for the turtles. We couldn’t do our work without them!

St Cyprians

On 19 April 2024, Grade 5 students at St Cyprians School participated in an 8-hour swimathon to raise funds for the rehabilitation of hatchlings at the Turtle Conservation Centre. Together, 75 students swam an incredible total of 6 000 lengths covering 150km. The whole grade was involved in the fundraising process, and their families cheered the girls on as they swam!

The energy, passion, and dedication of students, teachers, and parents alike were extraordinary. Our Turtle Community Coordinator attended the swimathon and was deeply moved by the love, curiosity, commitment, and enthusiasm shown by all. The students were thrilled to be swimming for the turtles, demonstrating their excitement and dedication to our little hatchlings.

Renée

On 7 April 2024, one of our turtle volunteers, Renée, jumped into action to collect and transport 11 loggerhead hatchlings from Struisbaai. Amid strong winds and reports of flooding, Renée began her journey. On her way to Hermanus, updates kept coming in about more turtles being found...

Renée picked up the 11 hatchlings and set her car’s aircon to 23 degrees to keep them warm. As she made the trip back to Cape Town, she softly sang a mantra to them: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, which means “may all beings everywhere be happy and free”. Despite the rough conditions, Renée felt a responsibility to deliver the hatchlings to safety.

Upon arrival at the Aquarium, the turtle team quickly took the boxes of turtles inside. The intake process took about an hour, and the turtles were settled in their new temporary home. The team had been shocked at 11 turtles being rescued at once, but little did we know that the next day, over 10 times that many hatchlings would be brought in!

The Raemaekers

In the howling wind and rain that brought in over 500 turtle hatchlings to the Turtle Conservation Centre, the Raemaeker family rescued 30 loggerhead hatchlings during a scouting mission along a stretch of coastline in Struisbaai. The whole family got involved, Mom (Melissa), Dad (Serge), their two kids Loïc (10) and Camille (7), and Teddy, their turtle-sniffing dog. Teddy, who is usually a mischievous golden retriever, found his calling gently sniffing out numerous little hatchlings that otherwise would have been missed. Once he found a turtle, he patiently sat next to it for his family to pick them up! Loïc and Camille shared their experience with Sir David Attenborough and received a letter of thanks in return.

Turtle team

Our turtle team at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation are true turtle heroes! Their unwavering commitment, care, and love for our turtles at the TCC is inspiring. The team consistently goes above and beyond to provide a high standard of care for the turtles. With the influx of hatchlings earlier this year, they went the extra mile to make sure each hatchling was given the attention it required. Many members of the team worked late into the evenings and came in early in the mornings to ensure the well-being of each hatchling. Each member of the team brings their unique contribution, carrying out the essential different tasks, and supporting one another in many ways.